Bullet Points
by Shaun Garin
Summary: Imagine a Bullet. About .33 millimetres, it is capable of expanding upon contact, forming damage in a centrifugal motion. The bullet is one of mankind’s most powerful weapons to date. Now imagine that same force is applied to words or actions.


Imagine a Bullet.

About .33 millimetres, it is capable of expanding upon contact, forming damage in a centrifugal motion. The bullet is one of mankind's most powerful weapons to date.

Now imagine that same force is applied to words or actions. A single motion can change the course of entire lives and histories.

One night, Monk Gyatso headed towards Aang's room. He had been in a hurry and took nothing with him, fearing that Aang might make a hasty decision. In his haste, he managed to catch the young monk before he left, preventing a decision that could have changed the world.

Gyatso hid the boy away with an ancient order known as The Order of the White Lotus. Aang grew up happy, but always knowing what he must do. And after the terrible events of Sozin's Comet passed, Aang spent the next twelve years mastering the four elements.

And after 20 long years since the death of Avatar Roku, Avatar Aang ended the war.

The Avatar spent the rest of his life aiding the world and the people within it. But then, on the cusp of his 84th birthday, Avatar Aang died of old age. The Water Nations searched high and low for the next Avatar, expecting him or her to be a child of a great leader of men.

They found him. And 16 years later, the boy was told.

*

*

"You've GOT to be kidding me: I don't even LIKE this whole hokey magic thing!"

The Water Sages of the North exchanged glances. Hakoda facepalmed as he realized WHY all the weird things happened to his child. And Katara was staring, jaw to the ground.

"Sokka. Is. The. Avatar?" Katara wore a look of pure horror. "Now everything makes sense: and now I'm horrified of the potential."

"Hey, I'M the one who could possibly get eaten by a spirit monster here!" protested Sokka.

"I doubt that it'd happen—you're the Avatar Sokka. Although it kind of pains me to admit that I knew this all the time…" Hakoda remarked.

"… you KNEW?" demanded Sokka. "And why didn't you TELL me dad?!"

"Tradition. Avatar's aren't supposed to know until their 16th birthday. And quite frankly? I was kind of hoping it wouldn't be true. You ARE a bit of a disaster zone."

Sokka rolled his eyes. "It's not like I can wiggle my fingers or go sparkly boom boom and throw my hands out and--!" Sokka flung his hands out and suddenly, blasted a hole in the wall. "… shutting up now."

*

*

Bullet Points

Written by Shaun Garin

Avatar is owned by Nickelodeon

*

*

For Every Action…

*

*

"This isn't fair," grumbled Sokka as he put his things into a bag. "I can't believe that because a bunch of old guys came and said I was the Avatar, doesn't mean I can't bring my things with me."

Katara watched from the doorway of Sokka's room as he angrily threw things into the bag. "I mean I don't even like this magic water or whatever I can do. Sure I blow up things but that's all in the name of scientific curiosity!"

"Like the time you shattered an iceberg because you were testing the explosive power of peanut sauce?" replied Katara, arms folded.

"Hey, I'll have you know the results were both explosive and delicious," replied Sokka, throwing his cherished boomerang into his holster. Letting out a sigh, he looked up at his sister and stated, "I don't want to leave Katara."

"I don't want you to leave either," said Katara. "I still can't believe you're the Avatar either Sokka, but it does explain things. Like how you always catch fire when sitting next to the cooking fire. Or the time when you accidentally broke the gemstones that the one trader brought to our town. But it doesn't quite explain the cabbages."

"I'm sure that was pure accident," defended Sokka. "That guy's cart just HAPPENED to be under a awning full of water."

"Water that suddenly turned into spikes and brutally maimed innocent cabbages?"

"They gave me the RUNS!"

"Oh shut up and get over here." Sokka rolled his eyes, walked over and hugged his sister. "I'm going to miss you Sokka…"

"I am too," he whispered back. "I'm just unhappy I'll be able to see you for like 10 years or something."

Pulling back, she smiled sadly. "I'm sure you can write or messenger hawk or something, right?"

"I HAVE been contemplating one of those," admitted Sokka.

"Did the Water Sages tell you where you're headed first?" asked Katara.

"They said that I need to learn Airbending," said Sokka and Katara made a puzzled expression. "I know it's out of order but apparently the Northern Water Tribe's full up on new students or something. And, well, the Southern Air Temple is the home of the previous Avatar."

"Avatar Aang," said Katara. "He was the one who prevented the war from continuing."

"Yeah." A low boat horn sounded and he sighed. "That's my ride."

"Stay safe." Hugging her brother one last time, Katara let go reluctantly and Sokka headed out the door. It wasn't until he was out of sight that she let a tear run down her face and she hit the wall, the water splashing in reply. "Stupid Sokka…"

*

*

"First time on a Fire Nation ship?" asked the captain of his passenger. Sokka nodded and he smiled. "Hey, it's not so bad. You get to see the world."

"Yeah, and dragged from the home you love," replied Sokka.

The captain shook his head. "Look kid, you might be the Avatar but you're ALSO a normal teenager. Try to look on the positive side: you get to meet all of the cute ladies out there."

Sokka perked up at the thought. "You've got a VERY good point!"

"Captain Ji!" Ji looked up at the man who saluted. "We've got a stowaway."

"LET GO OF ME!" Sokka looked up in alarm as two of the crewmembers hauled Katara up, holding his sister by the arms. "Sokka!"

"Katara? What are you DOING on this ship?!" demanded Sokka.

"You know this girl?" asked Ji and Sokka nodded. The men released her and Ji walked over. "I'm Captain Ji, of this merchant vessel. Who are you?"

"She's my sister," answered Sokka. "And she was SUPPOSED to stay at home!"

"And like I can leave you alone for five seconds?" demanded Katara. "Sokka, you NEED me out there. You wouldn't last three hours alone!"

"I would too!" replied Sokka.

"You would NOT! You don't know the FIRST thing about waterbending!"

"I can learn just fine from watching you wiggle your fingers doing the magic water thing!" defended Sokka.

The men and the captain looked at the siblings who were yelling at each other and the crewman asked, "Should we… stop them sir?"

"Nope. I've got six siblings myself. Trust me: leave them to their devices. It's going to get messy real quick. Incoming." Pushing his men down, the first volley was fired – quite literally as Katara blasted water at her brother.

*

*

"I hope you're happy," groused Sokka as the pair dried their clothing on a line over a roaring fire that the men had made up for them. Put up in a room together due to the lack of space, Sokka was picking through his waterlogged stuff. "Awwww you soaked my favourite pants!"

"Feel lucky that's all I did," replied Katara, hanging up her parka and pulling her blouse off. "Really Sokka, you should realize by now that you're totally lost without me!"

"Okay, okay, I admit it, you're better at domestic stuff than I am. Doesn't make you the boss of me." Sokka was hit in the face by Katara's boot and he peeled it off. "Seriously, once we land at the Air Temple, you're on the first boat or bison or whatever home."

"I'm not going back," replied Katara and Sokka's jaw dropped. "I'm going to go to the Northern Water Tribe and find a teacher."

"Are you NUTS?!" roared Sokka. "What makes you think that the Northern Water Tribe could do a better job than the waterbenders in our home?!"

"Because all of the skilled benders went to fight the war," replied Katara seriously and Sokka shut up. "And you know as well as I do that the only ones left are our healers."

Sokka knew it well; the war long ago devastated the Southern Water Tribe of their benders, and no new ones were born into families. Katara was one of the few who were born into the current generation and there were few that could actually teach the offensive skills needed to be a fully realized waterbender. "Fine. But you got dad's permission, right?"

"Yeah, I did," lied Katara. She knew her father wouldn't approve of her running off after her brother, but what Sokka didn't know couldn't hurt him right?

*

*

The trip took roughly seven days. Seven days for Sokka to realize that he really didn't like sea travel for long periods of time. It made him antsy. And an antsy Sokka was a destructive Sokka.

As he departed the boat with Katara on his heels, the ship pulled up almost immediately, hustling for the Fire Nation. "I can't believe you messed with the engine," rebuked Katara.

"Call it scientific curiosity," defended Sokka as he looked up at the building. "Whoa. Tall."

The building stood high above the land with a large road winding up a steep path towards the top. Figures on gliders floated overhead and one of them was getting closer and closer. Sokka instinctively stepped in front of the person who then landed. Bowing, Sokka and Katara returned the bow if awkwardly, as the young woman said, "Hello, are you two travelers? Welcome to the Southern Air Temple."

"Uh hi," replied Sokka. "I'm Sokka and this is Katara. I just got told I was the Avatar and I should come here for training."

"Nice to meet you," said Katara and the woman gasped, delighted.

"A pleasure to meet you Avatar Sokka and Katara. Is she your girlfriend, Avatar Sokka?"

The pair went green and chorused, "WE'RE SIBLINGS!" to which the girl gasped and reddened.

"A thousand apologies! Please, this way!" The girl gestured towards the temple and the trio started walking.

"Hey she's pretty cute," mused Sokka. Dark hair flowed down the back of her head but was shorn towards the back of her head in traditional female Airbender style. She wore the simple tan and yellow of her people, but lacked the markings of mastery, the arrows that would define a master bender.

"Keep your hormones in check AVATAR Sokka," enunciated Katara, narrowing her eyes. "You're supposed to be a pillar of virtue."

"I'm sure virtue works out when you're like twenty or something. No harm in looking."

"Oh, apologies for not introducing myself," added the girl turning. "I am Rinchen, granddaughter of Avatar Aang."

"Wait, granddaughter?" inquired Sokka as they headed up the road. "Does that mean that you're my…?"

Rinchen smiled and laughed a little. It sounded like bells. "I am actually. In a way I am your granddaughter Avatar Sokka, so that means that we are family!"

"Oh thank the stars," sighed Katara as she grinned and nudged Sokka who was groaning. "Cheer up o mighty Avatar: I'm sure the next cute girl you see WON'T be your granddaughter!"

"Please stop trying to cheer me up and stick with tearing me down," groaned Sokka as they headed up the mountainside.

*

*

"We are blessed and humbled by the arrival of the Avatar," an elderly Airbender master, a woman named Pema.

"Bowing huh? I can get used to this." Katara elbowed Sokka HARD. Rubbing his side and gritting his teeth from the sudden pain he added, "on second thought, don't worry about bowing!"

Rinchen stifled a snicker from behind the group and Pema looked at the girl before she straightened up. "For the duration of your training, please feel free to learn as much about your past lives. And might I ask who is the lovely young lady next to you? Is she your girlfriend?"

"Why does EVERYONE think Katara's my girlfriend?" groused Sokka and Katara palmed her face.

"Well we assumed from her betrothal necklace of your people she's wearing," pointed out Pama and Katara touched the necklace. "You might want to take it off once in a while dear, lest someone believes you two are together."

Katara looked ill as she immediately pulled it off and tucked the necklace into her blouse, vowing to wear it again later when they weren't being mistaken for a couple.

"In any case dear, your family lives here," said Pama. "You should visit them while you are staying for the duration of your training."

"… family?"

*

*

"WELCOME BACK GRAMP GRAMP!"

Sokka was tackled by a three-foot nothing airbender kid the moment he walked into the door. The kid grabbed his face and tugged, eliciting an "OW OW OW!" from the teenager. "Wow Gramp Gramp, you sure have a misfortunate face this time."

"It's settled Sokka: you're officially the unluckiest Avatar in the world," snickered Katara as the kid clambered off Sokka's chest. "Hi there, I'm Katara, Sokka's sister."

"Ooooooh, I didn't know Gramp Gramp had a sister this time. Does that make you auntie then?" asked the kid. "I'm Tashi by the way."

Katara grinned and patted Tashi on the head. "Sure, I can be Auntie Katara."

"Swell. Help me up?" Katara heaved her brother to a standing position as he added, "I thought monks didn't have family units?"

"Gramp Gramp was all about family, since Great Gramp Gramp Gyatso raisd him," said Tashi, leading them into the small family unit where a pair of airbenders were making the evening meal. "Mother! Father! Gramp Gramp's back!"

"Welcome home dear!" Sokka was mushed into the chest of a very top-heavy Airbender woman who wore her hair in a tight braid instead of the usual loose flowing style. "You don't remember me but I'm Sonam, your daughter in law."

"And I'm Tenzin, your son," said the man who stood up. He was incredibly huge, built more like an earthbender with his bald head, mastery tattoos and red and yellows. However the man had muscles that were bigger than Sokka's entire torso, and he just bulged with them as he walked. Sweeping the boy into a hug, Sokka emitted popping noises. "Welcome back dad!"

"Choking… breaking… shattering into pieces…!" gasped Sokka as Tenzin let him go.

"He really doesn't LOOK like an airbender does he?" remarked Katara in a low voice.

"Mom says that dad got it from one of Gramp Gramp's incarnations. Apparently the guy looked like he could break boulders just by dancing on them – without earthbending," replied Tashi with a wide grin.

*

*

"OOGH I'm stuffed," groaned Sokka, laying back on his bed.

"I wouldn't be surprised; you ate HALF the meal!" exclaimed Katara. "Talk about impolite Sokka."

"Hey, airbenders aren't big on meat Katara. I had to fuel up with double the amount just to keep the ol' Sokka engine running." Retorted Sokka. "Do you how hard it is to fuel this lean and fit body without precious meat in its pipes?"

"Well at least you'll be more regular than squatting for ten minutes," replied Katara, earning a snort from Sokka. "Do you know what's going to happen tomorrow?"

"I dunno," replied Sokka, putting his arms behind his head as he stared up into the unfamiliar roof. "Some kind of testing or something."

Sokka would find it out the next day, but his first experience with Airbending summed up to "I don't like this."

Case in point as he was slammed into a wall by a simple gust of wind. As he peeled himself off the wall, his instructor, a serene looking monk by the name of Kunchen folded his arms inside his sleeves. "Are you certain you are the Avatar?"

"Positive," replied Sokka, wobbling a little from the impact. "Let's try that again."

After ten more slams into the wall, three attempts at mastering basic flight and a plunge into the ocean from his first glider lesson, Sokka dragged himself up to the temple and flopped down next to Katara who was having a cup of tea with Rinchen. "Having fun mighty one?"

"The mighty one wishes to learn earthbending – so the mighty one can bury self alive." Groaned Sokka from his prone position.

"Perhaps you need a little more warming up grandfather," said Rinchen, hiding a smile behind her cup. "After all, even the Avatar can get rusty."

"What the Avatar needs is meat," groaned Sokka. "I be hungry."

"Will a fruit pie work?" asked Katara, offering it. Sokka eyed the fruit pie and reluctantly ate it from his prone position. "Seriously though, isn't the Avatar supposed to be a prodigy at this sort of thing?"

"Not at all actually," replied Rinchen. "You see Auntie, even in our history there have been tales of Avatars who lack the fundamental skill of a bender, or the discipline for it. Or perhaps the mindset. Still, they triumphed."

"And how long did it take them to master a single element?" replied Sokka.

"Their whole lives. The tale is told to inspire those to never give up," replied Rinchen.

Sokka groaned.

*

*

"A faster way to learn Airbending? I'm afraid there isn't Avatar Sokka," said Pama. "Perhaps if you were to talk to your previous incarnation, Avatar Aang…"

"No. No way. I'm not going to dabble in the creepy magic stuff until I get this basic move down." Said Sokka. "I don't feel comfortable with all of this stuff."

"As you wish. In the meantime, please refrain from cursing in the courtyard. It is disturbing the monks who are meditating." Reminded Pama. "The way to bending air is not wrought in frustration."

"Yeah, it's paved with pain. Lots of it." Sighing, Sokka bowed clumsily as he walked out of the room and right into Tashi who was waiting at the door. "What's up kid?"

"I was just wondering if you wanted to play some Wind Ball with me and the kids Gramp Gramp. They want to see how good the Avatar is since the last one was a Wind Ball champ." Said Tashi.

"… all right. Sounds like I could at least take a hour or two off."

*

*

"Ow."

Crick.

"OW!"

Pop. CRICK.

"OW! KATARA!"

"I'm massaging as gently as I can!" snapped Katara as Sokka lay prone in front of her on a table. "It's not my fault you have baby skin!"

"I just think," POP, "That maybe," CRACK. "You could heal over my bruises…" CRACK! "Oowwww-iiieeeeeee--!"

"Sorry," replied Katara. "Maybe what you need is acupuncture…"

Sokka immediately sat up. "I'm better!" he proclaimed despite a symphony of pops echoing through his body.

Katara rolled her eyes and shoved Sokka to the table again. "Lay there while I get some oils or something." Getting up, she headed out the door as Sokka groaned, laying there prone.

As he lay there, the small form of Tashi peered over the table edge. "Hey Gramp Gramp, you okay?"

"Gramp Gramp's feeling his millennia of incarnations in one fell swoop," groaned Sokka. "What's up kid?"

"The kids are saying you suck at airbending," said Tashi. "I wanted to get mad at them, but Rinchen says it's not good for a airbender to get mad."

"Hey if it were someone talking bad about Katara, I'd pop em one." Replied Sokka. "But they're right—I suck at being an airbender. I suck at a lot of things and bending is one of them. I never liked it."

"Really? But you're the Avatar Gramp Gramp." Said Tashi.

Sokka sat up, ignoring the symphony of crackling from his solid thrashing. "Kid, being the Avatar isn't about being host to a title, or being the worlds best bender immediately. Right now I don't even like being the Avatar; to me I'm just Sokka."

"And my Gramp Gramp?" asked Tashi.

Sokka nodded, rubbing Tashi's head despite the pain in his arm. "Yeah, even being your Gramp Gramp's more important."

Tashi beamed and hugged Sokka around the middle. "Missed you a lot."

Sokka smiled. "I'm sure I missed you too. Now go on; your friends probably need to see that my grandson can outplay anyone."

"You really think so?" Sokka nodded and Tashi ran out the door, pausing to hug his grandpa once more before bolting.

"Thanks dad," said Tenzin from the opposite door. "I saw Tashi come in all depressed and I knew he'd make a beeline for you."

"How'd you know?" asked Sokka and the giant of a man laughed, sitting down on the thatched chair.

"It's always the first thing Tashi does when he gets upset; he runs to his grandfather." Replied Tenzin. "You know, the first time I saw you, I couldn't believe my dad was reincarnated into a guy who looked like misfortune was going to follow him for his entire life."

Sokka's expression twisted up into an annoyed bunch and Tenzin laughed. "That's the same expression dad would give me before throwing his arm to the side and proclaiming "GO TO YOUR ROOM!" Ah good times."

Sokka chuckled, shaking his head. "Now I know where all of this protectiveness comes from. Dad, well my dad, said that I'd make a fine protector some day. And I guess he's right."

"Yeah." Getting up, Tenzin added, "don't forget to wipe up the table when you're done dad; we need to eat off that. And it's a shame really that Aunt Katara's your sister: you two look cute together."

Sokka sputtered incoherently as Tenzin walked away laughing.

*

*

"Do you miss the South Pole?" asked Sokka that night.

"Yeah," replied Katara. "Do you?"

"All the time." He turned over and looked at his sister who was sleeping on the opposite side of the room. "Katara… I don't think I'm cut out for this whole Avatar thing. You saw me out there today: I suck."

"It's your first day though," replied Katara, turning over. "I'm sure that won't be the case forever."

"There's something else that's been bothering me lately," added Sokka. "And NO it's not the fact people think we belong together."

The pair shuddered before Sokka finished his train of thought. "Why me? Out of all of the kids in the world my age, why am I the one who was incarnated into the Avatar? Does that mean I've always been this line of superpowered benders? That it is my duty to stop being Sokka and start being AVATAR Sokka?"

"Sokka…" Sitting up, Katara gazed at her brother. "Look, I don't understand it myself. Suddenly your life, OUR lives were up heaved and you became the most important person in the world next to kings and fire lords. But I want you to understand that you are YOU and there is no one else I'd rather have you be. Even if you're the Avatar, you're still my brother. My very destructive, boomerang obsessed, meat-eating fanatic of a brother."

Sokka chuckled softly. "Thanks Katara, I needed that."

"Good. Now get some sleep: you're going to start your second day and it's almost the middle of the night."

"Yes mom."

Katara threw her pillow at him.

*

*

The pair awoke to the rapping on their door and Sokka dragged himself out of bed. Stumbling to the door, he opened it, grousing, "It's too early and Avatars need their sleep!"

"Avatars can also be in a LOT of trouble," stated Hakoda angrily and Sokka snapped to awareness. Katara roused immediately and she made an "eep" noise before trying to hide under her blanket. "Katara…."

"… wait," said Sokka. "Waaaaaaiiiit. Wait. Katara? You DID get permission to come here, right?"

"Um… sorta?" squeaked Katara from under her blanket.

"A note that says "need meat, gone fishing" is NOT a permission slip!" growled Hakoda. "Katara, I'm disappointed. I'd expect this from Sokka but you?"

"Dad, I know you're upset but…" said Katara, finally coming out from under her blanket, "But I needed to do this. Sokka just can't live out here without me. And not only that, I want to accompany him on his journey and learn waterbending."

Hakoda and Katara stared at each other for a long moment and for a brief moment, Sokka thought his dad was going to paddle her bottom like he had been done so many years ago after the incident with the noodles. But then, Hakoda sighed. "You're just like your mother: too headstrong to argue with Katara."

Katara's expression lit up and she bolted out of bed, hugging her dad. "Thanks dad."

Hakoda chuckled softly as he hugged his daughter. Releasing her, he turned to Sokka. "So how's my son? Learning any of that fancy Avatar stuff?"

"Well I'm learning something around here," admitted Sokka.

"Yeah, how to get massacred in a game of wind ball," put in Katara, earning a glare from Sokka.

Hakoda chuckled. "Well everyone's good at something. I'm going to be in the area for a while kids: decided that while I hunted the pair of you two down I may as well get in some local fishing. I hear Kiyoshi Island's nearby, and there's Elephant Koi that are just waiting for a skilled Water Tribe fisherman. Katara, try to keep your brother in line. And Sokka? Try not to blow something up."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence dad," replied Sokka, clearly frustrated as Katara smothered a grin. "By the way dad, if you see Tenzin around, say hi would ya? I'm sure he'd like to meet his uncle."

"I already met him on the way in on the docks," replied Hakoda. "Took one look at me and gave me a bear hug. Said I was his uncle or something. Relative of ours?"

"He's Sokka's son. You know, from Avatar Aang actually," replied Katara. "The entire family lives here."

"Well I'll be." Hakoda laughed. "I'll see about meeting the family before heading out. Oh by the way, the Monks asked me to get Sokka. Said something about oversleeping."

"Oh great. Second day and I'm already late," groaned Sokka before he dragged himself out the door.

"You might want to put pants on son," reminded Hakoda and Sokka slipped back into his room, red-faced.


End file.
